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Mitt Romney looks for South Carolina knockout punch

Many believe if Romney wins South Carolina, he’s probably going to be the nominee. | AP Photo

Ron Paul, who took second on Tuesday, told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” he thought Gingrich and Perry hitting Romney on Bain doesn’t reflect well on their own campaigns.

“But to attack him for following through on a procedure which is real market-oriented, to restructure corporations, that’s a positive thing in economics. So I just wonder if they’re totally ignorant of economics or whether they’re willing to demagogue just with the hopes of getting a vote or two. That didn’t make a whole lot of sense there, what they were doing in the last couple of days,” Paul said.

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Perry, speaking to Fox News from South Carolina, appeared undeterred and said he would will continue hammering Romney on Bain. He pointed to his time campaigning in Gaffney, South Carolina, a city that, he said, was the home of one of the companies Bain “had gone in and basically picked the flesh off the carcass, if you will,” with 150 people losing their jobs.

“Listen, I am as much of a capitalist and have a record to prove it by creating, and by helping create over a million jobs in the state of Texas,” Perry said. “But here’s a real difference between venture capitalism and vulture capitalism. And that’s what we’re talking about here. And the fact is, Mitt’s going to have to — he’s going to have to defend this. I mean, and better in January than in September, if he happens to be our nominee, to explain exactly why you wanted to take $20 million dollars out of that company and basically release all of these people to be unemployed.”

But Gingrich seemed to back away from his formerly full-throated criticism of Romney.

At an early event in Rock Hill, S.C., he didn’t mention Bain at all.

And at a book-signing in Spartanburg, he signaled that believes his criticism of Romney’s record at Bain is a mistake — and that he’s created an impression that he was echoing Democratic rhetoric.

Gingrich conceded the problem when pressed by a Rick Santorum supporter at a book-signing here Wednesday.

“I’m here to implore one thing of you. I think you’ve missed the target on the way you’re addressing Romney’s weaknesses. I want to beg you to redirect and go after his obvious disingenuous about his conservatism and lay off the corporatist versus the free market. I think it’s nuanced,” Dean Glossop, an Army Reservist from Inman, S.C., said.

“I agree with you,” Gingrich said. “It’s an impossible theme to talk about with Obama in the background. Obama just makes it impossible to talk rationally in that area because he is so deeply into class warfare that automatically you get an echo effect. … I agree with you entirely.”

Gingrich also acknowledged, in a morning interview on MSNBC, that he faces a do or die dilemma in South Carolina. “If Romney can win South Carolina, he’s probably going to be the nominee,” Gingrich said.

Santorum insisted that South Carolina would not be the end of his presidential aspirations.

“It’s not just going to be here,” he said of challenging Romney, “it’s Florida and beyond.”

“Jon Huntsman lived there, Mitt Romney lived there, Ron Paul’s run there several times and Newt Gingrich spent money and had the (Union Leader) endorsement,” he said. “So we had a tough wall to crack and I thought we did very well.”

Corporations are made up of people, and affect people as employees, dependents and users of the goods the corporations produce. Detroit is kind of bankrupt, isn't it? The costly Volt is not a car that has given Detroit a competitive edge. I like to be able to get rid of people who take payment from me, but do not do the job outlined. I would hate to be stuck with them.

Mitt has already started cranking up the attacks on Obama with the GM and Chrysler takeover, Bailouts, shafted bond & Stockholders and Billions of Dollars of OUR taxpayer money lost. He hasn't even started with the Green boondogles like Solyndra who lost a half a billion Dollars and 1000 jobs....

I'm kind of glad that Bain was brought up by the Republicans now so it will be out of the way in the General Election.

You are aware that GM and Chrysler have had banner years, have paid back their bailout and that more than a million jobs were saved, right? And you are aware that green jobs are the fastest growing industry in America right now?

Mitt is pretty anxious to sweep the Destructive Capitalism issue under the rug. Turns out it's something of a dead elephant sitting in the living room. The stench just won't go away. Mitt won't release his tax returns. Is that because he doesn't pay taxes on the millions he gets each year in dividends from his years at Bain where he actively and purposely destroyed the businesses that others created? Is that because he doesn't want us to know that not only do the Job Creators not have to pay taxes but neither do the Job Destroyers. Is a robber baron, tax cheater the best the republican have to offer? The stench will be impossible to ignore.

are there no working people in n.h.whose jobs have been outsourced or eliminated or merged or downd? politicos headline to this story tries to sound conclusive but victims of corporate raiders and zombie cost cutters are not all republicans. and they seem to have a much clearer idea of who and how the middle class is being systematically eliminated. hard to believe that anyone who ever Actually worked for so much as a single day in their life could possibly delude themselves into believing that they have a seat at the republican table.

at least a growing number of dems are coming to realize that 99% of us don't have a seat at the New World Order or Plutocratic or Oligarcic or Money or what-you-want-to-call-the-1% table. Politico can run all the misguided and misguiding headlines it wants and it won't change the truth which is self evident.

Just because an attack falls flat in a primary doesn't mean it won't work in a general election. Take Michael Dukakis and the attacks on him for pardoning a convicted murder who went on to murder again. Al Gore raised that same attack during the primary at a debate, and it fell flat, so none of his opponents repeated it again. Until the general election, when Republicans helped cripple Dukakis' campaign by bringing that exact same attack up.

It's really not surprising that the Bain attacks would be more likely to fall flat in a republican primary, since republicans are more sympathetic to Wall Street and stuff they do to make lots of money that may hurt other less fortunate people. Besides, the people who raised the attack were never going to do well in New Hampshire.

If Romney really believes that, he's in for a rude awakening. He had name recognition in New Hampshire and was running against a collection of clowns. In the general election, Bain will have a serious impact, since it groups Romney in with the other robber barons who scuttled our economy in their greedy quest for personal enrichment. It will highlight his membership in the 1% and show his disdain for working people, the folks he cast aside so his corporate raider company could line his pockets. I hope he underestimate's the rage of average Americans and thinks Bain isn't a problem. By the time he recovers, it'll be far too late.

Yes, arrogant Mitt, keep being proud of the fact that you tore up companies for your own profit and cost thousands of people their jobs, to line your pockets. I am sure Americans are breathless to put a man with that type of moral center in office. You are beyond clueless when it comes to knowing what everyday Americans view as important.

You are aware that GM and Chrysler have had banner years, have paid back their bailout and that more than a million jobs were saved, right? And you are aware that green jobs are the fastest growing industry in America right now?

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What utter nonsense!!!!

GM and Chrysler have paid back one set of loans by using another pool of government money-they still owe us billions. Its sad that people like you are so financially illeterate that you dont understand what was done.

Having said that, the concept of the bailout was a good choice. However it should been done the way Chrysler was done in the early 80's...entirely through the bankruptcy courts. Obama's shafting of the secured bondholders to give a large chunk of the company to his union masters was a despicable abuse of power and was the first sign to me this clown could not be entrusted with the pwoer of the presidancy.

And the auto industry is cyclical--they caught the up cycle. I hope they do not once again give away the store to the unions and get whacked in the next down cycle.

Considering the unions own about 40% and the government a large chunk of the rest, what do you think the odds of that are?

As for green jobs being "the fastest growing segment" is guess when you have 2 jobs and it goes to 4 you can say you've grown 100%, but they are almost ALL dependant on governement subsidies, and are simply not economically viable-look at Spain.

Further, the idiocy that "green jobs" will have any role in solving our unemployment problem is scarily delusional, and a major part of the reason the business community is giving a bit,fat "no confidance" vote to this administration by refusing to risk any capital on euipment or people unless its is absolutely nessesary.

OBAMA MUST GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For gods sake anyone else...Hillary.. Mitt...Heck, I'd even vote for capitivating one if someone ran him against the big-eared buffoon.

The Bain info will likely find a little more purchase as they are repeated. I think they came late to the New Hampshire news cycle and couldn't have an effect on the vote. I'll be interested to hear it in SC with Newt spending 3 mill on attack ads. Could be a big change there.

Yes, arrogant Mitt, keep being proud of the fact that you tore up companies for your own profit and cost thousands of people their jobs, to line your pockets.

You realize Obama had to put on the bain role in rescuing Detriot, right?

In detroit, Tens of thousands lost thier jobs. Dealer contracts were voided and dealerships closed. Almost everyone took a pay and benefit cut. Creditors got shafted.

All were nessesary steps taken by the governemnt to save the company and tens of thousands of remaining jobs. I disagree with the deal to give a large block to the union as a naked payback for their support, but otherwise Obama took the hard steps needed to save the two companies.

So its okay for Obama, but bad for Bain VC firms are high risk, high reward ventures. Thats what they do.

Its truly sad the lack of intellectual integrity shown by knee-jerk Obot supporters.

Yes, arrogant Mitt, keep being proud of the fact that you tore up companies for your own profit and cost thousands of people their jobs, to line your pockets.

You realize Obama had to put on the bain role in rescuing Detriot, right?

In detroit, Tens of thousands lost thier jobs. Dealer contracts were voided and dealerships closed. Almost everyone took a pay and benefit cut. Creditors got shafted.

All were nessesary steps taken by the governemnt to save the company and tens of thousands of remaining jobs. I disagree with the deal to give a large block to the union as a naked payback for their support, but otherwise Obama took the hard steps needed to save the two companies.

So its okay for Obama, but bad for Bain VC firms are high risk, high reward ventures. Thats what they do.

Its truly sad the lack of intellectual integrity shown by knee-jerk Obot supporters.

I would disagree with you @randyfaria on one point. I'll take your word that Obama's admin did have to cut back on Detroit, but when GM and Chrysler came back, he didn't get millions in his own pocket as a result. I think that makes a difference.

Not a big fan of Perry but I think he described the difference between capitalism that helps our Country and vulture capitalism that hurts. Romney is the dark side of capitalism that takes advantage of the system to generate wealth for the few. Sometimes it helps many and sometimes it hurts many. Contrast that with someone like Dave Packard at HP. No one would ever characterise him as a liberal. He was a true conservative. He and Bill Hewlett built up a company that valued people and they made a ton of money. And, he was a very tough business guy that understand profit needed to be the focus for the company to survive. However, when times were tough, instead of laying people off, he worked with them to keep people employed. Any conservative like that still around? If so, he/she would have my vote.